How to fatten up 4 month old silkie chicks?

[Bryam]

Hello!
I have 5, 4 month old silkie chicks. They are eating chicks starter and grower mixed together. I find some of my birds are really long and skinny and I would like to fatten them up! What can I feed them inaddition to the base diet?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They kind of go through a skinny teenager phase. They should remain on what you are feeding them until point of lay (and then go to layer feed since that has lots of calcium). They can be on just grower feed if it is around 17% protein. It is good for them to not have the 20% protein when they are teenagers I have read, since it can lead to reproductive problems, although a lot of people do feed the Flock Raiser which has 20% protein.

If you want to feed a 20% protein feed I would cut it with a bit of scratch to bring it lower, but make sure you are giving them green grass or living food with vitamins like table scraps of fruit and veg to provide vitamins.

If you were saying that your adult chickens were skinny I would worry about worms, but you are talking about teenagers.

Just make sure there are enough feeders for everyone...if they are in a mixed flock they may be chased from the feeders.

 

[thepouts]

Each night I pick my silkies up to put them in their coop and I have noticed that I can feel their bones. They are almost 4 months old. I was getting a little worried even though I watch them eat heaps. So I am glad to read that this is normal

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I wouldn't try fatten them up, I've read that fatter chickens either don't lay eggs at all OR they just don't lay as often. Makes since though, it's not healthy for any animal to be "fat". Chicks don't need anything other than their starter so you are giving them what they need already. Good luck!